Hello friends.
Just got this message in and I thought it was important to share with you.
Dear Guests,
WYPR’s March 12 Board Meeting has been rescheduled for April 15 – it will still take place at 3pm. A location will be posted on the website by March 15.
Thank you!
~ Alex
Alexandra Price
Associate Development Director
WYPR
2216 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
ph. (410) 235-1446
fax (410) 235-1161
www.wypr.org
aprice@wypr.org
Filed under: Announcement | Tagged: marc steiner, WYPR |
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Re: the BOD date change…..
Now, WHAT do you think THAT’s about?
April 15?
What else is happening that day?
Oh yes, I know…
I think it’s about hoping we’ll peter out and go away.
The BoD meeting is being postponed to allow time for completion of the WYPR project to beautify Pennsylvania Station. The transvestitute statue will be relocated to the 2600 block, N. Charles St.
(blank look)
Ron, I’m trying to figure out if you’re being facetious or not. Are you serious?
Rhonda, I absolutely am not being serious. I thought the announcemet of the BoD postponement was so crazy, I tried to match it.
LOL, I’m so gullible. On the other hand, if you can believe that the city spent $400,000 on that monstrosity in the first place, I think it’s believable that they would spend more money to move it to Charles Street.
Let the Board know how you feel. Fill out the form at:
http://iefscripts.byethost13.com/
and your message will get sent to all 21 members of the board. Tell them how you feel about Marc being let go or the postponement of the BOD meeting or whatever.
While i’m not particularly a fan of the man/woman thing, I also wasn’t under the impression that it cost the city anything.
Maybe we should consider trying to communicate directly with board members at their places of business. Perhaps they would be willing to dialogue with committed fans of Marc’s show if they didn’t feel threatened. I feel strongly that we should reflect Marc’s style, ie determined yet constructive dialogue rather than lashing out at them emotionally. We want to encourage dialogue not destructive criticism so their choice is only to tune us out.
Stu,
You’re probably correct. This Wikipedia entry says you are wrong, but I don’t trust it in light of this City Paper article, which seems authoritative.
That’s only for the cost of the statue itself, though. Did Baltimore City pay for site prep, transportation, rigging, etc.? Durned if I know.
I think the statue could enhance another location, I don’t have anything against the sculpture itself. I dislike its placement at Penn Station, which is inappropriate. How did it happen? Amtrak supposedly owns the property and would have had to give permission, right? Approval or a permit probably would have been needed from some Baltimore City agency or board, right? The true story of the failure of these gatekeepers to do their duty needs to be unearthed and brought to us by intrepid, resourceful Tess Monaghan, or by intrepid, resourceful Laura Lippman.
If the Penn Station plaza must be graced by statuary, alternatives exist.
Brandon still thinks we are a radical fringe and that he just needs to wait us out. He doesn’t get it. Not even close.
I’m sure he didn’t want a repeat of the CAB meeting.
Wow, so YPR is delaying the bad medicine? When is the rescheduled winter fund drive to take place?
I’ve been listening to Rodericks for two reasons: Marc isn’t on the air and to see what YPR is replacing the Steiner show with. So far Rodericks’ show is a very poor substitute with no local content. The interview style is bland, the questions softball; there is none of the potential larger audience appeal that Marc has/had. I know Rodericks is just getting started here, but like the entire firing debacle, the new replacement show feels so totally thrown together. I’m insulted as a listener/memember to endure or be asked to support this crap. Now the local issues/commentary/news scene is more bland, homogenized infotainment. i am seriously dissappointed still at teh loss of the Steiner show, the turn of YPR away from the community it professes to serve. Now YPR is split between mainstream NPR programming and borderline commercial crassness.
I fully intend on taking the time to attend the BoD meeting. The hole YPR is digging with the programming on the Rodericks show is just more evidence of the shoddy handling of this whole affair.
As for MD morning, that show echoes some of the things that Marc examined, albeit in less detail, ie Shapiro was on with his book about successful leadership. There have been others, I just can’t think of them at the moment. I suppose the community content and public service portion is no longer considered as important as it was by the powers that be at YPR.
Are MD Morning and Rodericks going to do the same level of MGA coverage, school issues etc that Marc covered? How will Rodericks distinguish between the Sun and what it misses/omits (whether intentional or not) and the opportunities that Marc provided to probe the same issues?
The other thing I don’t understand is the venom I see against the Steiner show, public radio and the continued conversation about it. I geuss some folsk just feel a need to criticize that which they don’t like and don’t participate in, yet these same folks are affected by the issues the Steiner show has examined (and they certianly have opinions on those). When an article is published regarding the firing/cancellation, folks rubberneck and comment so negatively. Why would folks want less information instead of more on pertinent topics? Why would folks not try to understand differeing viewpoints – even when a view is not swayed, it bolsters the current one.
There is so much going on in our worlds both local and larger and our news is so poor. It is difficult to know what is going on, much less make good informed decisions about it. The Steiner show was a great placee to hear local issues and alternative viewpoints and complimented the other sources thus helping to create a more complete picture. Now that it is gone, nothing is really in its place. There is a vacuum.
Fiddlesticks. I omitted a letter in the URL for the Tom Claassen pics.
http://notesonart.blogspot.com/2007/10/work-of-tom-claassen-is-often-not-what.html
Hmmm, I’m having some trouble confirming info about that stupid statue, too. Probably could contact the Municipal Arts Society, but I’m not all that invested. even if they paid for it, it’s still 1)Stupid and Ugly (in my opinion) and 2) clashes horribly with the train station. Even though I don’t like it on it’s own merits, I could handle it if it was somewhere else, like at the art school or even downtown. It’s worse than that bizarre modern glass dome the Germans have put on top of the Reichstag.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/reichstag.htm
…okay, I need to get off this subject. I really hate that thing.
I’ve listened to Dan Rodricks a little this week to assess the situation for myself. Eh – just bland. Nothing at all about “Maryland” unless you count today’s Baltocentric show about gangs (all about procecuting them – not why people are in them or how to get out- which is the show Marc would have done)
Anyway, looking at the topic lineup on WYPR’s website, Thurs 12-1pm is “TBA” and I had this funny thought……
How long will it take before Brandon even ALLOWS an ‘open phones’ segment on Rodricks’ show?
You KNOW what people would be calling in to say.
The thought of it gave me a laugh.
The fund drive is now scheduled for 4/2/2008 to 4/8/2008.
This Board is such a bunch of cowards-they postpone their first public meeting after Steiner fiasco for a month, then schedule the earlier delayed fund raiser for the week before. They want to see how little money they are going get pledged before they decide if they are worried about Brandon’s conduct in this matter.
We need to effectively boycott on this station drive: “No Marc=No Money!”
We also need to ask the Board to speak before 4/2/2008. I have sent the board several synopsis of my complaints re YPR management thru Ian’s posting. I suggest everyone do the same as politely as we can manage.
Brandon’s and the Board keeping their back’s to us. Turn around, Guys, sit down and defend your position or resign. I can confidently predict to the Board that their negotiating position will be worse after this fund-raiser than it is now.
Called in and then got # to call Brandon himself. Said that the event was postponed to allow full participation. If I didn’t know any better I’d have said he sounded sincere.
Janet,
Could you please post a link to fundraiser dates, or say where you heard it? I can’t find that info on the WYPR site or in the news. Levine’s page still says the dates aren’t set.
http://www.wypr.org/Volunteer_General.html
The time is now after 11 p.m., I just now called some numbers at YPR hoping to find a recorded announcement about this, but no luck. We can call tomorrow to verify dates.
Thanks.
The YPR controversy has been noted at Current.org, with a photo of some good-lookin’ people.
Why must comments in this blog be vetted by a moderator before we can read them? Vetting can prevent duplicate of triplicate posts, of course, but I don’t think that is a big problem. Vetting can catch errors, but without moderation errors that do appear can be corrected quickly instead of hours later.
Vetting increases the workload on moderators, who might have better things to do with their time.
Perhaps vetting is an unavoidable requirement of the site software, maybe vetting has prevented publication of some terrible comments, I don’t know. We seem to be acting like grown-ups, though, and I think vetting should be abandoned if possible. It slows and inhibits the dialog.
Only my opinion.
As long as I’m picking nits, a Preview Comment button might be a good thing, but again, I don’t know. We seem to be doing OK without it. Just a thought.
The membership drive has indeed been rescheduled to begin April 2. The information is being circulated to the volunteer list before being posted on the YPR website.
I’ve tuned in “briefy” to a couple of Dan’s shows( trying not to jack their ratings up)… I agree with whoever said he is “Bland” …. actually that is an understatement… As an on air personality he is no marc steiner…. His show topics have been the pits as well… And the theme music…. You get the picture…
I emailed Brandon and told him what I thought of Dan’s show…. Also told him I had just sent my first check to the Center For Emerging Media … money that would have gone to WYPR
No surprise that Dan’s show is bland given that he’s already failed not once – but twice – in broadcasting.
Am wondering what lessons we might be able to learn from the recent news about Senator McCain and the FCC. I don’t know much about the story but it did involve relationships between public broadcasters, commercial broadcasters, and the FCC. Some in Pittsburgh felt that this relationship seriously threatened their public television station. We may be having a similar situtation here and it may have been in the works for several years. We may now just be seeing the tip of the iceburg. Would love to hear what others may think.
Stephen, your comment was astute. I wrote in an earlier posting that I contacted the Washington Post about “our” story and asked for someone to investigate the deeper story of what lies beneath firing Marc. The reaction was tepid at best which only increased my paranoia. The person I was told to contact was Ms. Newhall at the Post. She said she would circulate the tip around the other newsdesks in case another reporter might think it interesting.. But I have heard nothing. I was hoping that others would also email her. This feels like “The China Syndrome” about media and I am unnerved by the implications.
Stephen,
I’d like to know some of the background of your comment. I assume it has to do with the nooks and crannies of the McCain-Iseman-Glencairn-Paxson imbroglio. Is that true? If so, I wasn’t aware public broadcasting was involved in any way – I haven’t been following the discussion carefully. Could you do some research and post some links?
Even though I don’t know what you’re talking about, your question resonates, for sure, particularly with regard to events on the Eastern Shore and in Ocean City. I’ll pull together some links about that for a comment.
Meanwhile – Marc, Jessica, Justin –
I had the impression that before YPR bought the Ocean City station, it tried and failed to buy or gain control of a station in Salisbury? Is that true? If so, can you say something about which station(s) was/were involved, and why the effort failed?
Thanks.
// I contacted the Washington Post about “our” story and asked for someone to investigate the deeper story of what lies beneath firing Marc. The reaction was tepid at best which only increased my paranoia. The person I was told to contact was Ms. Newhall at the Post. She said she would circulate the tip around the other newsdesks in case another reporter might think it interesting.. But I have heard nothing. I was hoping that others would also email her. This feels like “The China Syndrome” about media and I am unnerved by the implications. //
Or perhaps they consider this a “Baltimore issue” and thus unworthy of the Post’s attention.
I really hate to say this, because 1) it’s basically playing the GOP smear game in reverse, and 2) it doesn’t apply across the board, but…
Tony Brandon is a Republican businessman. It’s becoming clearer everyday that he ascribes to a fairly standard conservative view of what a radio station’s job is – to make money, period.
In a sense, we shouldn’t be surprised that this happened. Did we really think that a guy like that would be diligent in maintaining WYPR as a public institution?
I’m not dissing Republican businessmen as a whole. Sometimes, you need a profit-obsessed person to run things. No offense to Marc or any of the more progressive folks on this board (myself included), but how many of us have the business sense and grasp of numbers to run a multi-million dollar business? (And yes, even our late, lamented, idealized WYPR was a business – you gotta pay the bills somehow.) I have a feeling that most of us were humanities majors, am I right?
But what I’m trying to say, in my meandering style, is that when you bring a hungry lion into your home, you shouldn’t be surprised when he bites your hand off and destroys all your stuff.
That’s what lions do.
That said, I think that Brandon’s resentment of Marc, combined with the dubious ratings excuse, merely provided the impetus to fire Marc. But we all know that isn’t the real reason. The two men were oil and water from the beginning. Or, to continue my lazy metaphor, lion and lamb.
Why are we surprised? The lamb always gets eaten.
I was browsing FCC reports for WYPF, the Frederick station. WYPF is a 1 kW station operating under a license held by Your Public Radio Corporation. Some WYPF ownership reports are filed for Your Public Radio Holding Corporation. According to an ownership report with information accurate as of 5/3/07, we read the following:
“YOUR PUBLIC RADIO HOLDING CORPORATION IS THE 100% VOTING STOCKHOLDER OF YOUR PUBLIC RADIO CORPORATION WHICH IS THE 100% VOTING MEMBER OF WYPR LICENSE HOLDING, LLC, LICENSEE OF STATION WYPR(FM) BALTIMORE, MD (FAC 65753)”
Memorize that quote, folks.
This report lists six (not eight) owners of Your Public Radio Holding Corporation, each holding a 1/6 interest. The listed owners were Barbara Bozzuto; Anthony Brandon; William Clarke, III; Ann Daniels; Darielle Linehan; and Albert Williams.
Another WYPF ownership report was filed, also with information accurate as of May 3 2007. This report is for Your Public Radio Corporation, the actual legal name of the license holder. This report lists the many-membered BoD of Your Public Rado Corporation that we’re familiar with. But, ladies and gentlemen, here’s the money:
FIRST ITEM IN THE LIST –
a. Name and Address. Your Public Radio Holding Corporation; Baltimore, MD
c. Office held. Holding Company (Voted by Anthony Brandon)
d. Percent of interest held. 100.00
g. Existing interests. HOLDING CO. OF WYPR LICENSE HOLDING, LLC; LICENSEE OF WYPR BALTIMORE, MD
Interesting so far, huh?
Minor details: a WYPF ownership report with info accurate as of Dec 1 2004 listed eight owners of Your Public Radio Holding Corporation, including Jonathon Melnick and Charles Salisbury, Jr., each with a 1/8 interest.
What do the ownership reports for WYPR tell us?
Three reports were filed with information accurate as of December 12, 2007. The legal name of the entity holding the license for WYPR (and for WYPO, the Ocean City station) is WYPR License Holding LLC. Check out the FCC ownership report for WYPR License Holding LLC. It has one, and exactly one, and only one voting interest – Your Public Radio Corporation, Sole Member, Voted by Anthony Brandon.
As in the case of the WYPF report noted above, the WYPR report for Your Public Radio Corporation lists the many-membered BoD, but there is only one voting interest – Your Public Radio Holding Corp., voted by Anthony Brandon. None of the other people on that board mean diddly. (This report also memtions a “pledge and security agreement” with Maryland Economic Development Corp., 11/1/2007, that I didn’t know about. Anyone know what that’s for/about?)
Climbing the ladder to the top rung, we again see that Your Public Radio Holding Corporation has the same six owners listed for WYPF.
The upshot seems to be, Anthony Brandon rules. No wonder he’s arrogant. How do we affect the future of someone who has that much power?
(I hope those links all work.)
In light of Ron’s diligence and a conversation I had with a lawyer in the non profit arena who says no I want to ask: Can the President or the CEO of a non-profit organization be a voting member of the Board or the sole voting interest as described in these documents?
I don’t know, but legal beagles and inquiring minds might ask.
Joe, your very interesting question reminds me of Rod Serling.
I mean, according to the report for Your Public Radio Corporation, the only voting interest is Your Public Radio Holding Corporation, voted by Anthony Brandon. Farther down the list, however, we see that Brandon is ex oficio. Doesn’t that bring us fully into the twilight zone? Too complicated for my feeble brain.
If he does not rehire Marc Steiner by April, Anthony Brandon will suffer two rather significant losses. One is a huge dip in financial and listener support of WYPR, possibly requiring downsizing, layoffs and operational cutbacks that will diminish the station’s quality and longevity. Secondly, Mr. Brandon himself will acquire a highly publicized tarnish on his personal reputation in the region. He’ll join Spiro Agnew, Jeffrey Leavitt and Robert Irsay in historical infamy.
If he chooses to reverse the unpopular decision, there is chance for a collective redemption that would include himself.
Is there any hope he’ll take the high road ?
This is an excerpt from my note to the Board of Directors:
There is probably no good way to sever a relationship with a person of Mr. Steiner’s stature. This said, it is difficult to imagine how WYPR could have done much worse. It might be tempting to think this whole matter will blow over. I imagine that is what the Irsay family said when the Mayflower vans left Baltimore. While I am not a Maryland native, it seems to me that Baltimoreans have a long memory and are not quick to forgive an injustice. While it may be impossible to bring Mr. Steiner back to WYPR, it is certainly possible for WYPR management, you included, to take responsibility for this tawdry business.
I suggest everyone make a pledge of one cent, during the up coming fund raising drive. If you do this say a hundred times or so each time you call it will only cost you a buck……
The more 1 cent pledges the better.
They might get the point.
Sorry, Ron. I was away for the weekend. You’ve probably found this by now but –
http://www.wypr.org/Volunteer_Drive.html
Morning Edition had a story last Friday about McCain and the FCC http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87783425
It caught my attention because the Pittsburgh case seemed to have too many similarities to what I fear may be happening now in Baltimore. Pittsburgh public television was going to sell one of its stations to a another broadcaster which in turn was going to transfer that station to a third broadcaster. Your Public Radio Holding Corporation controls three licenses. I don’t know what Mr. Brandon intends to do with them but I fear that his plans may have something to do with “the sequence of events that led to the sudden cancellation of Marc’s show” and that may be why Brandon has refused to disclose this sequence of events. I don’t know anything about Jerrold Starr (http://www.cipbonline.org/) but wouldn’t be surprised if Marc knows a lot more about him. I have heard that satellite radio wants part of the FM spectrum that is currently reserved for public broadcasting. This includes 88.1. I haven’t been able to find any evidence that this has leaked out. It may be nothing more than a rumor that has no basis in fact, known or unknown, but I, for one, am concerned.
The part of the McCain FCC story that seems pertinent to the WYPR story involves proposed license transfers. Pittsburgh public television station WQED would sell one of its two licenses to a second broadcaster who would then transfer it to a third broadcaster. Morning Edition had a story last Friday (storyID=87783425). Jerrold Starr, Director of Citizens For Independent Public Broadcasting, was a community activist who was concerned about this. I don’t know anything about Mr. Starr but he sounds like the sort of person who could have been a guest on Marc’s show. I also don’t know what Tony Brandon’s plans are for his three licenses. He hasn’t apparently been willing to disclose “the sequence of events that led to the sudden cancellation of Marc’s show”. Since Brandon isn’t talking, I am unwilling to assume that the sequence of events relates primarily to Marc and his show and may have a lot more to do with his plans for these licenses. I have heard that satellite radio wants part of the FM spectrum currently reserved for public radio to be reserved instead for its customers. This includes 88.1. This may be a rumor with no basis in fact but, if it isn’t, the loss of Marc’s show may be merely the tip of the iceburg.
Have been trying to add comments about McCain and the FCC deal from 1999. Have had no luck. Didn’t have any problems last week. Maybe I don’t know how this works.
Maybe it will work this time.
The part of the McCain FCC story that seems pertinent to the WYPR story involves proposed license transfers. Pittsburgh public television station WQED would sell one of its two licenses to a second broadcaster who would then transfer it to a third broadcaster. Morning Edition had a story last Friday (storyID=87783425). Jerrold Starr, Director of Citizens For Independent Public Broadcasting, was a community activist who was concerned about this. I don’t know anything about Mr. Starr but he sounds like the sort of person who could have been a guest on Marc’s show. I also don’t know what Tony Brandon’s plans are for his three licenses. He hasn’t apparently been willing to disclose “the sequence of events that led to the sudden cancellation of Marc’s show”. Since Brandon isn’t talking, I am unwilling to assume that the sequence of events relates primarily to Marc and his show and may have a lot more to do with his plans for these licenses. I have heard that satellite radio wants part of the FM spectrum currently reserved for public radio to be reserved instead for its customers. This includes 88.1. This may be a rumor with no basis in fact but, if it isn’t, the loss of Marc’s show may be merely the tip of the iceburg.
Letter from Barbara Bozzuto, Chair of WYPR’s Board of Directors:
Dear WYPR Listener,
Thank you for sharing your reaction to the cancellation of The Marc Steiner Show. I wish to offer you, our listener, some further information, and more importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to re-affirm the responsibilities that WYPR has in the community and to share our vision for the future.
Declining ratings were emphasized as the reason for the show’s cancellation out of a desire to avoid any public discussion of complicated personnel issues. In retrospect I realize that you deserve more than a partial reason and one which, unfortunately, has created the impression that our motivations are the same as those which drive commercial radio. The fact is that the day-to-day interactions and decisions that need to be made to keep an operation like WYPR moving forward require cooperation, teamwork, and a shared purpose. While still respecting private personnel records, I just want to say that it became obvious that attempts to resolve disagreements on a variety of matters had failed. Change is always difficult but we must move forward.
WYPR is an organization of unquestionable value to this community and one which can grow even stronger. Operating under a Strategic Plan established in 2003, Tony Brandon and WYPR’s staff of forty dedicated professionals have expanded the station’s broadcasting to Frederick and Ocean City, completed the conversion to a more powerful digital signal capable of multi-channel broadcasting, and expanded programming to include such popular local shows as The Signal, Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast, Digital Cafe, Sports at Large, Backstage at the BSO, and Postcards from the Walters. We now have a fully operational and growing local news department. WYPR’s budget has increased from $1.7 million in 2002 to more than $4.2 million dollars in 2007. With sound financial planning, the station reduces its debt each year and operates within a carefully approved annual budget. Your approval of the changes is manifested by the annual increase in membership and listener support.
You, and our many listeners and members, are the lifeblood of this station. Some of WYPR’s listeners have expressed their concerns about the station’s commitment to the mission of public radio. I pledge to you that WYPR will continue to embrace enthusiastic dialogue and open discussion of issues that concern you. Public access to the airways will continue to be the mainstays of our programming. Our newest programming addition, Midday with Dan Rodricks, shares those ideals and will further those common goals with an experienced voice.
Everyone at WYPR is deeply grateful for your support, enthusiasm and passion for Baltimore’s public radio station and in the coming months we will reach out to our listeners to renew their confidence that we are partners in this enterprise and that we share the same ideals for public radio. I thank you for your financial support and for caring so deeply about WYPR.
Sincerely,
Barbara Bozzuto
Chair of WYPR’s Board of Directors
Hmm, so BB says declining ratings was used as a reason for the cancelation/firing to keep personel issues out of the public view. TB offers MS $50K hush money. MS learns of his cancelation/firing indirectly thru the media. MS is replaced with DR, who does some fluff, some stuff MS covered (although not as well IMO) and MD Morning and DR tread on some of the same material (I recall times when MS had something first adn later there would be a less detailed echo in MD Morning), DR has lots of Sun refrences and buddies on (narrowing our news/events coverage in terms of POV), Inside MD Politics rolls on with unchecked info from Rascovar and F Smith.